"In light of"' means "considering," as though light has been shed on some useful information. "A consideration which elucidates or which suggests a particular view of a subject," according to the Oxford English Dictionary.

"My pet peeve is the coordinating conjunction commonly used as an infinitive; "try and" instead of "try to," reader Bill Dixon recently wrote to us. "This has been in slang use for a long time, and after an indefinite time some things become accepted in both sound (oral/aural) and print communication. I have seen it in print and heard it occasionally by guests and sometimes by staff on NPR."

Here's what American Heritage has to say on the topic:

"The phrase 'try and' is commonly used as a substitute for 'try to,' as in 'Could you try and make less noise?' A number of grammarians have labeled the construction incorrect."

Language blogger Erin Roof (grammarpartyblog.com) has this to add:

"When you say you will try to do something, you are admitting the outcome is not guaranteed," writes Roof. "To 'try to pick up some beets on the way home' means you may or may not come home with beets. If you get caught in a torrential downpour, with severe thunder and lightning and cats and dogs falling from the sky, you might decide to skip the quaint side-of-the-road stand where you usually get your beets, instead coming home empty-handed.

"On the other hand, if you say you will 'try and pick up some beets on the way home,' it sounds like you are doing two separate things: trying and picking up some beets. Moreover, it sounds like you will both try and succeed in picking up the beets."

The official definition, according to American Heritage, is "to put at a loss as to what to think, say or do; bewilder."

"The word is frequently used to mean 'to make indifferent, bore," the dictionary goes on to say. "English speakers may have interpreted the silence implied by 'nonplused' as evidence that the people being referred to are so unimpressed that they have nothing to say. This usage is still controversial and should probably be avoided, since it may well be viewed as a mistake."